A Beautiful Lie
by vampirevixen07
Summary: Bella is in an abusive relationship with James. She meets Edward in class. Will he be able to save her? Switch between EPOV and BPOV. R and R please! This is my first fic and I want to know what you think!
1. Chapter 1

_A/N I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. The only thing I own is the plot. Thank you for reading and please review!!  
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EPOV

Her name was Isabella Swan. She was the most perfect girl I had ever seen. She had the deepest chocolate brown eyes I'd ever seen. The most luxurious brown hair. Hair that I would mind wrapping my hands in as I kissed her fucking senseless. She was a fucking tiny thing though, I would have to be very careful with her. But in order for me to be careful with her, I would first be on fucking speaking terms with her. Unfortunately the opportunity had never presented itself. Who the fuck was I kidding? I was too fucking scared to talk to her! She was walking perfection and every day I let her walk right damn by me, never uttering a single fucking word to her. Not even a mother fucking hello. Damn I was an idiot. Every day I sat next to her in class and hadn't even fucking introduced myself. She had the first day we sat down. She had given me that timid, sweet as all hell smile before telling me that her name was Isabella Swan. She had the sweetest fucking voice, it hit me like a fucking house falling on a wicked witch. And then I fucked it all up.

I just stared at her like a fucking jackass. I was so shocked by her delicate beauty that I just sat there. Like. A. Fucking. Jackass. Her smile quickly faded and she turned to listen to our professor. She never fucking looked at me again. Every day for the last fucking week she came in, sat down and stared straight ahead. God, I was a prick. I was too fucking embarrassed to apologize for my behavior on that first awful day. So I just let her sit next to me and never once tried to strike up a conversation. I mentally kicked myself in the ass every fucking day. But I never got up the nerve to say anything to her. Not once. Like I said, I'm a jackass. She probably fucking hated me for ignoring her that first day. Or thought I hated her. Or that I was mentally challenged. Damn it! It was time to fucking man up and speak to the damn girl.

"Hi." Fucking awesome. I wait how fucking long to speak to her and all I can think to say is hi? Talk about your fucking anticlimactic moment. But at least she was fucking looking at me. Even if she was staring like I had suddenly sprouted a second fucking head.

"Hi" She even fucking answered me! I was silently fucking crowing to myself all because this chick and said hi back to me. God I was a fucking loser.

"I'm Edward Cullen, sorry I was so rude to you earlier; I just wasn't expecting such a pretty girl to sit next to me." That was good, sounded confident and flirty. Don't let her fucking see how your stomach flutters when she looks at you. Play it cool, like she's just another fucking girl.

She kind of looked me up and down before proclaiming, "It's fine don't worry about it." God she was fucking pretty. I found myself watching her lips move and wanting her to keep talking. I was fucking imagining all the things I'd love to do to her lips. Like kissing them softly in the fucking rain. How fucking mushy was that? This chick was just so fucking amazing and I barely even knew her. I just knew that I wanted to be next to her. I wanted to know everything about her, what made her happy, what made her sad, what she was thinking when she bit her fucking lip. God I was turning into a girl but I didn't care. She was perfection itself!

We talked a little bit throughout the hour. Mainly about the class, nothing really personal. I asked her what she was majoring in. English seemed like an odd choice for her until I got a vivid mental picture of her curled up next to a fireplace with a book in her hands. She looked fucking adorable as all hell. She was twenty years old. She seemed almost shocked when I told her that I was only twenty-two. Fuck I knew I looked older but not that much fucking older! She had grown up in Forks, Washington but yet she didn't like the rain; which was fucking ironic. She loved the warmer and drier weather of Phoenix, she said it was a nice change from Forks. Her parents were divorced and her mom lived in Florida, while her dad was still in Forks. I hung on her every word like a love-sick puppy dog. I answered her questions and kept asking about stuff because I fucking loved the way she talked.

She seemed friendly but there was something on her mind. I wanted to fucking ask her what but it didn't want to come across as nosy. If I had fucking talked to her that first day I might've been able to ask her what was wrong and receive an honest answer. But on the first day of being on speaking terms I highly fucking doubted she would tell me what was putting the shadow in her gorgeous eyes. As I was thinking about it, I noticed that she had started to gather up her books. Well fuck the class was over. Before she could get up and walk away I blurted, "Would you like to uh, grab some lunch or something?"

She kind of smiled sadly and I knew I was fucked. I had fucking blown it. She thought I was a fucking mental case. I was such a jackass!!

"I'm sorry Edward; but I'm meeting my boyfriend, James." And just like that my perfect fucking girl walked away.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N I do not own anything. I merely own my plot. This chapter is a more disturbing than the previous one. I rated this story M for a reason. Also I will not strictly rotate between EPOV and BPOV, sometimes I might have two BPOVs in a row. I'm also not sure how often I will be able to update. I will try for once a week but please don't hold me to that as I do have RL things that requre my attention. Thank you for reading and as always please REVIEW and let me know what you think of it!!!!_

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BPOV

I quickly hurried out the door after class. I wasn't trying to be rude but I was late. James did not appreciate tardiness; especially tardiness caused by another man. For a second I let my thoughts drift to the man I had left standing in classroom 103. Edward. The name suited him with his green eyes and messy bronze colored hair. I wondered idly if that color was natural. Maybe he was some pretty boy that dyed it to look cool. I had been pleasantly surprised when he struck up a conversation today. It was hard for me to meet new people. I never felt like anything I had to say was interesting. He probably thought he had offended me by not answering me that first day but honestly it hadn't. I was used to being ignored. I shoved that thought out of my head as fast as I could. I hurriedly blanked out my expression when I saw James sitting at a little table in the corner of the cafeteria.

James was taller with medium length blonde hair. He liked to keep it tied back in a ponytail. He was very muscular and maintained the stance of a fighter. He was perfectly poised at all times, always ready to protect me he liked to say. I was proud that I had such a handsome boyfriend but today for some reason I could not help but notice how James never seemed to relax. Maybe that was why he didn't have very many friends. Not that he needed any, he always said that the only thing he needed was me.

"Hey baby" James stood and quickly wrapped me in a hug. If he squeezed just a little too hard, I made sure not to let my face betray it. He didn't know his own strength that was all. There was really no point in making him feel bad when it was a complete accident. I took my seat across from him and smiled. I knew better than to speak until he asked me something directly. I waited patiently as he studied me over the table. "Why were you late?"

"Professor Newton held the class a bit late, I hurried over here as soon as it was done." The lied rolled smoothly off my lips. There was no way that I was going to tell James that I was late because I had been speaking to a guy. He was pretty insecure, always worried about losing me and I saw no reason to reinforce his fears.

He studied me for a long time until finally satisfied, he smiled and asked, "How was class?"

"It was okay. Professor Newton was a bit boring." I made sure to keep my voice soft and sweet, just the way he preferred.

"I bet he was boring. I could teach you more than he ever could! I don't understand why you even attend this stupid college. I can teach you everything you need to know right at home baby."

I had no reply for his frequent request that I stay home with him all day every day. It was so sweet that he wanted to be with me all the time but I truly liked going to classes. I liked interacting with other people my age and learning different things. Of course when I tried to explain this to him he took it in entirely the wrong way. We got into one of our biggest fights that night, all because I didn't know how to explain to him that I liked school without making him feel like I didn't want to be with him.

He must have sensed that I wasn't going to answer; because thankfully he dropped the subject. Instead we spent the next fifteen minutes talking about what things I needed to buy for our apartment. "Don't forget to make a list Bella," James reminded me, "you know you always forget something if you don't have a list. I don't want to have to run back to the store to pick something up because you were too damn lazy to make a list."

"I already made one!" I pulled out the list that I had already started that morning and proudly placed it on the table. I had even gone through the cupboards to see exactly which foods we needed. We were almost out of a lot of things so I was glad that I was going shopping right after my last class. James hated it when we ran out of something at home.

I could tell he was proud of me because he leaned in close and pressed a small, chaste kiss on my forehead. "That's my girl!" he whispered. I was so glad that I had done something right today. It was so easy to mess up with James. He was a perfectionist and I was not. It was amazing that he had put up with my mess this long, and I tried every single day to make it easier for him to deal with it. It was the perfect moment until I looked up and saw Edward Cullen walking towards us. My mind began to panic, James would not like another man breaking up our alone time. He was not going to be happy. I tried mentally screaming for Edward to turn around, that I didn't want him to talk to me now but he kept on coming straight towards us. I should have known better, after all it's not like Edward was a mind reader.

I closed my eyes as Edward walked up to our table and addressed me, "Hey Bella! I saw you from across the dining hall and didn't want to be rude and ignore you again!" He gave me a wide smile and kind of chuckled. I must admit I would have thought the gesture to be endearing if I wasn't sitting across from James. James who did not like men to even look at me, would not appreciate this harmless flirting. I didn't even dare look at Edward, instead staring straight ahead as if I hadn't heard him. It was of no use.

"What exactly do you mean again?" James snarled. I sneaked a glance at Edward and saw the shocked expression on his face as James continued, "Bella do you want to explain to me what this boy means when he says 'ignore you again'?"

"It was nothing honey, I introduced myself on the first day of class and he must not have heard me. We talked a little bit today during class. That's it."

"So the reason you were late today wasn't because the class was being held late was it? The reason you were late today was because you were with a guy! Are you fucking him you whore!?" James venomously spat at me. He didn't even need to raise his voice to make me feel like a small child caught with her hand in the cookie jar. I knew it was too late but I tried one last time to salvage the situation.

"No! Baby I would never cheat on you! I barely know this guy! All I know is his name and that we have class together! That's it I swear! I love you and only you!" I pleaded James with my eyes. Couldn't he see how much I adored him? I just wanted to make him happy!

"We're leaving, now!" he ordered. I gathered up my things and followed him as he stalked out the door. I glanced back and saw Edward staring after us in shock, I tried to let him know that I was sorry by giving him a small smile. When I turned to hurry after James I recognized the murderous look on his face, tonight was not going to be a good night. I followed him outside and we climbed into his car. Neither one of us said a single word the whole way home. I was trying so hard not to cry. I had been good, I filled out a shopping list, I waiting for him to speak before speaking, I did my best to make him happy and now he was mad at me. All because of stupid Edward Cullen.

He pulled into our parking space, got out and walked to my side of the car where he proceeded to wrench my door open and jerk me out of the car. His grip on my arm was punishing as he forced me to walk beside him to the apartment door. Once we were inside he threw me to the ground. "I shouldn't even fucking touch you, you worthless whore. I've given you fucking everything! And yet you're fucking every guy you meet behind my back! I fucking hate you stupid bitch!" he screamed at me. I curled up in a ball knowing what was coming, knowing that I deserved it because good girlfriends did not make their boyfriends mad. Good girlfriends deserved men like James.

So I did not whimper as his boot hit the side of my ribs time and time again, or when his fists pummeled my back. I did not cry out when he slammed my head onto our dining room floor repeatedly. I did not protest as he drug me by the hair into our bedroom. I did not cringe as he ripped my clothes off, leaving me lying naked on the floor. I did not shudder as he took of his belt, liberally hitting my back, stomach and breasts with it. I did not moan as he then threw me on the bed, forcing his way inside of me. I did not cry, beg or scream throughout the night and eventually his screaming turned to sobs, his insults to terms of endearment. He gathered me up close, stroking my hair as I lay silently by his side, covered in bruises and welts and whispered those three words I needed to hear. "I love you."


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N I own nothing. Except my plot and my shoes. I would like to thank everyone that has put this story on Story Alert. It made me really happy to know that people are enjoying this story. Or else you just like watching train wrecks. Either way it made me happy to know I have readers! As always please review and Enjoy!_

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EPOV

What. The. Fuck. Was. That. I just stood there gaping after them. Did he really just call her a whore for talking to me? Then he started to drag her out of the dining hall. He fucking grabbed her arm and physically removed her from my presence. I was just standing there in shock; I could not even process what had just happened. She turned and gave me a sad little smile. She looked so fucking defeated. It was the look in her eyes that finally spurred me into action. I sprinted after them but I was too late, they were nowhere in sight. My fist slammed into the outside wall of the dining hall, splitting open my knuckles. Damn it! I should have fucking stopped him. I should never have let him take her. No woman deserved to be manhandled and insulted because she talked to another guy. What the fuck was wrong with me? Why had I just stood there while a woman, a fucking tiny little thing, was pushed around right in front of me? I was so fucking pissed off at myself. Of course, I had no idea what I would have done even if I had caught up to them. Insisted that she not leave with him? Kick his fucking ass? Yea I probably would have done the second. I would have to fucking ask her what the fuck was going on when I saw her in class next. I hope that he was just insecure and that little show had been to warn me off. I hope that he did not actually treat her like that. Damn it. I had so many fucking questions for her. Maybe as a complete fucking stranger, it was none of my business but there was something about the look in her eyes that made me want to protect her. I just really hoped that there was nothing to protect her from.

I realized that I might as well go fucking home. There was no way I would be able to concentrate in my last class, not with everything that just happened. My apartment was in walking distance thankfully. There was no fucking way I should be driving right now. I really fucking hoped my roommates would be home. I needed some opinions on what I should ask Bella the next time I saw her. I mean I didn't want to grill the girl on her relationship but at the same time, I wanted to know what the fuck was going on. I knew I couldn't just come right out and say "hey Bella? Is your boyfriend a controlling asshole? Do you need me to beat the shit out of him?" Yea that would go over really well. I walked up the two flights of stairs to our apartment and let myself in; Jasper and Emmett plus their girlfriends Alice and Rosalie immediately greeted me. Good, I could use a female perspective also. I threw my bag on the floor and collapsed on a chair.

Jasper was the first to notice that something was wrong. He looked over from the couch with a frown. "Hey dude what's up? You look really upset; did you fail out of a class already?"

"Ha ha. Not funny Jazz! Do you guys remember that chick I met on the first day of classes? Bella?" I asked.

"The hot one that you acted so rude to?" Alice was never one to let me forget my screw-ups.

"Let me guess, you blew it with her?" Emmett burst out laughing.

Rosalie chimed in with "Of course he fucking blew it! He wouldn't know what to do with a hot girl if she fell naked onto his lap. Douche bag"

"Fucking A would you guys just shut up and listen to what happened? I fucking talked to her today in class, finally introduced myself and made small talk. Everything was going good until she said she was meeting her boyfriend after class. Which is not the problem so shut your mouth Emmett. The problem is that I saw her after class with said boyfriend. I tried being friendly by going up and saying hi. And yes Rosalie to see my fucking competition. And my fucking competition is a controlling asshole! As soon as he found out she talked to me in class he called her a fucking whore and then grabbed her arm. He drug her out of the dining hall! He called her a whore for talking to me! What the fuck is up with that?" All four of them had fallen silent during my explanation of the day. Alice was the first to break the silence.

"Edward, that's not good. That's not good at all. In fact I would guess that it's even worse than what you are thinking." She looked like she was about to cry, which scared me a lot. Alice didn't cry… ever. She was a feisty little pixie. Incredibly cheery, bordering on criminally annoying. If she was about to cry then it was bad. Really fucking bad.

"Alice, explain. Now."

"You know how I was dating a guy named Laurent before meeting Jazz?" I nodded. "Well, what you probably didn't know was that he was pretty abusive. Verbally and physically. He used to hit me if he saw me even looking at a guy. He would fly off the handle over the tiniest little thing. If I did anything he deemed unacceptable than I deserved to be punished. His punishments were brutal. It sounds like Bella's boyfriend is a lot like Laurent. The way he freaked out and called her a whore for speaking to you and the way he grabbed her, that makes me think he's probably abusive." She finished speaking in a whisper.

I was shocked and livid. I never knew that Laurent had beaten her. Yea I had known that Jazz didn't like the fucker and Alice and been jumpy when they first started dating. She just seemed so fucking happy that I never guessed she had such a horrendous past. I just gaped at her as Jazz pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her.

"What do I do Alice? She's such a little thing! She's so fragile and sweet, I need to save her. Alice I need to fucking save her." My voice sounded hoarse in my ears.

"You'll need to gain her trust, you can't just ask her straight out if she's being hit. You need to get to know her and let her learn to trust you in her own time. She'll need you to be gentle. It won't be easy. She might not realize that there are better men out there. She might even blame herself. You need to prove to her that she is better than what he makes her think she is. It's not a problem you can solve overnight. I think you can do it though. If you have patience you can do it Edward." Alice smiled at me.

"I agree. And we'll help you when you need it." Jasper looked me straight in the eyes, "It won't be a walk in the park and you'll need our support. Don't be afraid to ask for it."

"Dude you know I'll help," Emmett was looking at Rosalie when he said; "I can't stand the thought of a man hitting a woman. I'd like to find this guy and see how he likes getting the shit beat out of him!"

Rosalie nodded and simply said, "When this Bella is safe, I'll kick his fucking ass for her."

I thanked them all, knowing that I would need their help in the coming months. However, I was going to do it. I was going to save Bella Swan.


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N As usual I own nothing. I feel like I have some 'splainin to do. First of all I would like to address the length of my chapters. I have the hardest time starting stories. In my head I always tend to imagine the middle and the end but the beginning never comes easy. So I decided to write three short chapters as the opening instead of one long chapter that would have taken me forever to write. That being said I can't guarantee that my chapters will ever be super long. I don't planning on writing a novel here just my story the way it plays out in my head. So the chapters will vary in length in accordance to what is going on within them. Transitional chapters will be shorter, action chapters will be longer. Secondly I feel like I should warn you that my story will earn its M rating. There will be lemony goodness but also there will be angsty-makes-me-want-chocolate-ness. You have been warned!!_

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EPOV

I walked into class on Wednesday afternoon feeling confident. I had a plan and support. There was nothing that could fucking stop me. I was going to save Isabella Swan. I sat in my seat eagerly watching the door. The annoying girl Jessica something or other that sat two rows ahead of me walked in with her quiet friend Angela. Jessica was obviously checking me out even though I could tell she was fucking attempting to be subtle. I felt vaguely uncomfortable. It was not as if I had never been fucking checked out before. I was a fairly good-looking guy and never had a damn problem finding a girl. It was not as if Jessica was nasty looking or anything either, so I should be fucking flattered. My gaze was drawn back to the door, I was waiting for Bella and no fucking girl compared to that. A slightly obnoxious voice interrupted my musings and without looking over, I instinctively knew it would belong to Jessica.

"Hey there, my name is Jessica. What's your name?"

"Edward" I was still staring at the door. I knew I was being rude but damn it I was waiting for Bella and Bella was late. She had never been late to class before. I was starting to get fucking worried.

Apparently, Jessica was ignorant to my lack of interest, "Well Edward, I was wondering if you wanted to come to a party tonight at my place." She paused and then in what I guessed was supposed to be a seductive voice added, "I would love to see you there."

I looked over to see her sitting on the edge of my table, leaning towards me and batting her eyelashes. She was wearing too much perfume and it made me want to fucking vomit. While she had appeared to be somewhat pretty from across the room, up close I could see that she was heavily made-up. I preferred the natural look with a minimum of make-up. Any girl could look fucking good with tons of eyeliner, eye shadow, cover-up, blush and lipstick. It took a real beauty to look good with just fucking Chap Stick on. Bella looked good with just Chap Stick on. I smiled because Bella was naturally gorgeous. Jessica misunderstood the reason for the grin and smiled back. At least I thought it was supposed to be a smile, it reminded me of when a predator flashes their teeth at prey. It was creepy so I glanced away.

I noticed the guy that normally sat next to Jessica was staring at me. Her flirting with me apparently bothered him because he was glaring at me with the fury of a thousand suns. That's when I realized why Jessica's flirting disturbed me; I didn't want Bella to see another girl flirting with me. I wanted Bella to know that she was the only fucking one I wanted to flirt with. I didn't want to seem like a damn player to her. I also didn't want anyone else thinking that I was interested in anybody else. I may have just met the girl but she was everything that I had always wanted. With that in mind I turned my head back towards the door and answered Jessica.

"Well Jessica I'm not sure if that would be a good idea. You see, I just met you; and while you might be comfortable inviting complete strangers to your home, I do not feel comfortable going to a complete stranger's home. So thank you for the invitation but I'm afraid that I will have to decline."

I heard a huff come from where she had been sitting. "Whatever" she hissed and stomped away. I watched her walk back to her seat. The guy sitting there asked her a question and she shook her head. He put his arm around her and she sort of rubbed on him like a cat. Girls like that were fucking trouble. I had no doubt that at her party tonight she would fucking ditch him for a hotter guy. I felt bad for the kid but I had more important things to think about. Because just then Professor Newton walked in and closed the door. Class had started and Bella was not fucking here. My heart sank as my mind went into overdrive. What if she had fucking dropped the class? What if he had really fucking hurt her? Where the fuck was Bella?

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BPOV

By Wednesday the bruises had begun to fade. The worst of the welts left by the belt and the marks on my arm were concealed by my long sleeve t-shirt. Yesterday James had been so apologetic, he babied me all day. He rubbed the salve on my back that prevented scarring, he cried when he saw the damage the belt had done. I smiled as I remembered all the sweet things he had done for me.

"Oh baby, I'm so sorry! I just get so mad at the thought of another man touching you! I know you wouldn't cheat on me sweetie, I know but I get so scared that I'm going to lose you. Darling, I know I should not have lost my cool. I'm so very sorry!"

"James, its fine. I am sorry that I talked to him. I want you to always be able to trust me and I am willing to drop out of that class if it makes you happy. I just want us to be ok." I whispered.

"No sweetie you don't have to do that. I need to learn to control my temper. I believe you when you say that nothing is going on with you and that guy. Besides, you need that class in order to graduate and the sooner you graduate the better. I'm all done with the salve baby."

"Thanks honey," I got up off the bed, gingerly stretching, "Do you want me to stay home today? I only have one class and I can skip it easily."

James smiled at me and said that he would appreciate getting to spend a whole day with me. We lounged on the couch all day watching movies. It was so nice to be able to just hang out with James; we rarely ever got to spend this much time together. At about five o'clock, I realized that neither of us had eaten breakfast and got up to make it only to have James stop me. "Sweetie why don't you go take a nice hot bath? I'll run out and pick up some Italian food for us." He smiled at me, "I'll even run the bath and you don't have to do a thing! Just wait right here Bella."

I settled back onto the couch. I could hear him bustling about in the bathroom. I knew he was going to add the sweet smelling bubble bath that I enjoyed so much. It was pretty expensive so I liked to save it for special occasions but whenever there was an incident (as I liked to call them), James would always make sure to have me use it. I heard the water shut off and James walked back into the living room. He told me the bath was ready and to take as long as I needed. Slipping into the scented water was heaven for my sore body. I closed my eyes and let my mind drift away.

I thought about Edward. He had the most amazing green eyes and his hair. Oh my, his hair was just begging to be touched. What was I thinking? I sat up quickly causing water to splash over the sides of the tub. So what if Edward was slightly attractive, if you were into the just-rolled-out-of-bed look? I personally preferred James' perfectly polished look. Edward was nothing to me. I did not even know the guy; there was no reason why I should be thinking about him while I was naked in a bath that James had taken such care with for me! James was my whole world and put up with all my mistakes. He was all I deserved, all I wanted. I was so angry with myself for thinking about another man for even a second. I mentally berated myself for being weak. I swore I would never think of Edward as being attractive again. I owed it to James to be faithful in body and mind.

I got out of the bath and wrapped myself in a towel. I had a plan to make up for my mistake yesterday. I had to act quickly before James got home. I tidied up the bathroom first though because I knew that he would appreciate it. I dried my hair and pinned it up in a sexy bun on the back of my head, I made sure to leave a couple tendrils lose. James loved it when I had my hair like this. I put on a touch of eyeliner and lipstick and rushed into the bedroom. I dug out my little pink and black corset with the matching booty shorts and black heels. I rushed to change and heard the door open and close just as I put on the heels.

"Bella?" James called.

I walked out of the bedroom to find James standing in the hallway with a dozen red roses in one hand and take out in the other. His jaw dropped when he saw me. I bit my lip as he set the food and flowers on the dining room table and walked towards me.

"Bella, you are never allowed to show this to another man." He whispered. I laughed, grabbed his hand and led him back into the bedroom. Dinner could wait; right now, I needed to show my man how much I loved him.

A book slammed somewhere in the library, jarring me back to the present day. I blushed furiously even though nobody could tell what I had been thinking about. James had shown me just how much he loved me last night. Twice. It was absolutely amazing. I lived for nights like this, nights when we were just two people insanely in love. Nights that I hadn't messed up with my stupidity. I was still ashamed of my two-second fantasy involving Edward in the tub yesterday. I felt even guiltier if that was possible this morning while putting the flowers James had bought me in a vase. The little things like that showed his love for me. Despite all my mistakes, James still thought I was worth buying flowers for. Edward was nothing.

_Then why are you hiding in the library instead of going to class?_ The little voice inside of my head asked. The only answer I could give was that I did not want to see the look in his eyes. He was the only person, other than James, who knew what a disappointment I could be as a girlfriend. I had seen the disgust in his eyes as he watched James and I leave the dining hall yesterday. He had witnessed James calling me a whore. He had to think that I was a horrible person; he most likely assumed that I had cheated on James before. He would never understand that James was just insecure. I could not stand to see that look in his eyes or the questions he would ask. He would ask me how a man like James could settle for a girl like me. He would know what a failure I was and I could not stand it. I was not going to avoid class forever, just today. I would go on Friday, I promised myself. On Friday, I would face the music and answer all of Edward's questions then. I just needed a little bit more time.

Satisfied that it was useless to worry about the situation until Friday I lost myself again in the world between the pages of my book. I did not even notice a certain pair of green eyes staring at me.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N As usual I own absolutely nothing. It all belongs to Stephenie Meyer. Sorry it took so long to update but my internet was down. I've had this ready since Wednesday but had no way to post it! I guess that's what I get for living in the boondocks. Thank you guys for all the reviews and adding A Beautiful Lie to your story alerts! Seriously you guys are the best! Please review this chapter as well and I hope my internet cooperates so I can get the next one up soon!_

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EPOV

I could not tear out of that classroom fast enough. I was so worried that something fucking bad had happened to Bella. Well something worse than what I had witnessed on Monday. I fucking hoped it didn't get any worse than that. Damn I had to find her. I had to know that she was okay. Unfortunately, I had no idea where to find her. I began to aimlessly walk around campus, I wasn't really thinking that I was going to find her this way but I was just so damn frustrated. Apparently, luck was on my side thought because when I wandered into the library Bella was there. She was curled up on an armchair reading a book. She looked so fucking cute with her hair in a messy bun. I just stood there watching her for a minute; this girl was fucking gorgeous without even trying. I noticed that she bit her bottom lip when she was concentrating, damn that was adorable. Soon I realized that I probably looked like a creeper just standing there watching her. Quickly I turned and walked away. I didn't want to fucking startle her, or even worse make her think I was a fucking stalker. She had obviously skipped class, probably so she would not have to see me. Maybe she was embarrassed by her douche bag boyfriend's shitty fucking attitude. Yea that was probably it. Besides while worrying about her well being during class I had come to a startling revelation; while I intended to and would succeed in saving Bella from the aforementioned fucker, I needed a plan on how to do that. And for a plan I needed to talk to Alice. Now that I knew Bella was okay I figured there was no time like the present.

As I made my way back to the apartment, I couldn't help but wonder about Alice's past. I knew she had grown up in foster homes until she was 18, she was a talented designer and she was crazy about Jasper. That was all I really knew about her though. I felt like a jackass for that. I had known the girl for almost two years and I had never fucking asked her a single thing about her life beyond the basic facts. I would never have fucking guessed that she had something like an abusive boyfriend in her past. I knew she was dating a guy before Jasper but never thought he was the type of person that would hit a girl. Alice was always so fucking happy that I had always just assumed that her life had been fairly good. I was definitely a dick for not asking more about her life before she became part of our little gang. I needed to have a conversation with her, not only to find out how to help Bella but also because I wanted to know Alice better. Which is why I was so fucking relieved when I walked in the apartment and Alice was the only one home.

"Hey pixie I'm home!" I called out her.

"Edward! I'm so happy you're home! How was class? Did you see Bella? How is she? Is she okay? Is she happy? Tell me, tell me!" Alice was practically bouncing of the walls in her excitement. This was the pixie I knew and loved.

Laughing I tried to answer all of her questions, "Yep I'm home, good, yes, okay, yes, fuck I don't know."

Alice burst out laughing, well maybe 'burst out' wasn't the best way to describe it, it was more like the sound of a bell tinkling, soft and gentle not a belly-wrenching laugh like Emmett's. "Oh Eddie that doesn't give me a lot of information. I meant that you should tell me all the details. You know what details are right? They're the little things that most men remain oblivious to. Of course, you won't be when it comes to Bella right? You have to notice the little things Eddie!"

"Alice calm down for a second okay? Bella didn't show up for class today. I was really fucking worried and started to wander around campus. I don't know what I was fucking thinking, I guess I was just trying to find her? Anyways I wandered into the library and there she was. She was just sitting in an armchair reading a book. She looked fine, Alice, I mean she looked kind of fucking tired but other than that I would say she is fine for the moment."

"Okay I'm calm. She didn't show up to class? Well that could be good or bad right? At least she was on campus. I mean if he had seriously hurt her, she wouldn't be walking around yet right?"

"Yea that's what I thought too. I cannot figure out why she didn't show up for class though. I mean she was on campus anyways." I was hoping Alice could help me figure that little issue out. I mean how was I going to help Bella if I never saw Bella. That would be fucking awful.

Alice appeared thoughtful for a couple minutes. Slowly she said, "It could be one of two things Edward. She could have been too embarrassed to come to class. I mean you did witness her boyfriend dragging her out of a public place. Not to mention the fact that he called her whore right in front of you. She probably thinks that you now believe that she is a whore. I wouldn't go to class if the guy that sat next to me thought I slept around. That's beyond mortifying!"

"I guess that's understandable. I don't think she is a fucking whore but yea you're right she wouldn't want to see me right away. But that's only one reason what's the other?"

"Well to be honest, her boyfriend could very well have told her that she can't go to class. He did seem like the jealous type and might be intimidated by you. A man like that wouldn't want to have any competition. And you, Edward, would definitely be competition to a jerk like that."

I hadn't even fucking thought of that! What if that jackass wouldn't let Bella come to class? What if he wouldn't even let her talk to me? What the fuck was I going to do then? Oh, I was going to be so fucked if that was the case.

"Edward I know that if she doesn't ever come back to class it will complicate things, but I still think that even if that happen you can save her. I've never seen you give up on anything and you won't give up on her." Alice was always optimistic, one of the many things that we all loved about her.

This was the perfect opportunity to bring up what I really wanted to talk about. "Alice? I need to talk to you about that. I know what I want to do but I'm not sure how the fuck to do it. How do I save her Alice? How did you get away? What are some of the issues I'm going to face in trying to get her out of there?"

"Edward I knew this was a conversation that we would have to have." She looked up at the clock and sighed. "Can we take this somewhere else please? Jasper is going to be home in about ten minutes and this is not a conversation that I want to have in front of him. He knows all about my past but he gets really upset when I talk about it. It will be easier to give you the information you need without having to worry about him being upset by it."

I nodded indicating that I understood and suggested that we go out to eat. She agreed and scribbled a note for Jasper telling him that we were going out and would be home later. We walked over to the diner about a block over. It was a favorite place of ours. They served the absolute best chocolate milkshakes and their fries were to die for! The owner was also a personal friend of ours, so we ate for free a lot of the time. Her name is Esme and my dad, Carlisle, totally has a thing for her. She is a complete sweetheart and I can't fucking blame him for being crazy about her. Fortunately, she seemed to feel the same way about my dad. I was expecting the engagement announcement any day now. Esme would not be there now though, I knew for a fact that she was with my father on a date. Maybe tonight he would finally pop the damn question. Alice and I walked to our favorite booth in the back corner. It was secluded and would offer the privacy we needed for this conversation. We ordered the usual, milkshakes and cheeseburgers, waited until the waitress left and when we were finally alone Alice got down to business.

"Ok so back before I met Jasper I was seeing this guy named Laurent. I met him when I was sixteen; he seemed like a great guy. He was funny, smart, charming and he treated me like a million bucks. I loved him Edward. I truly loved him. I didn't notice the warning signs. Looking back, I can see all the little things that should have clued me in to his true nature. It started out with him disapproving of some of the things I wore. He would say things like 'Honey that doesn't make you look as beautiful as this would.' I trusted his opinion and eventually changed the way I dressed, talked, walked etc. He didn't start hitting me until we had been together for about a year. I still remember that first time as if it had happened yesterday. I had been talking to a guy at a party, he was just a friend but Laurent didn't believe me. We got in a big fight, yelling at the top of our lungs and he just slapped me across the face. He looked horrified and kept apologizing over and over. I believed him when he said that it was an accident. He said it would never happen again and for a while, it didn't. Then he hit me again a few weeks later. The more I forgave him, the more he hit me. It didn't take long to progress to all out beatings. I was always making excuses for him. As the beatings got worse, I tried harder to please him. He had trained me to believe that when he hit me it was my fault. I always believed that it was my fault. When the people around me noticed the bruises, I would brush them off. I would not listen to anything bad they had to say. They tried to tell me how bad he was for me but I just clung to him more. Eventually I stopped talking to them at all. I pushed everyone away, all I had was Laurent."

Alice hadn't looked at me one time since she started talking. She just sat there looking down at her cheeseburger, shredding a napkin into tiny bits. It broke my heart to hear that Alice had been in such pain at one point. I reached across the table placing my hand on top of hers. "Alice, I'm so sorry that you went through that. I'm sorry that you have been hurt." It was not much but my sympathy was all I could offer her at this point.

She looked up at me and smiled sadly. "Edward it's ok." I was disturbed by the sad look in her eyes as she continued, "I survived it and found Jasper. I got all of you guys along with him so I think in the end I won."

In order to lighten the mood I laughed, joking "Alice I'm not sure getting to hang out with Emmett and his smelly burps is really a prize. I guess being my honorary sister could be a prize but fuck Emmett's?" Alice snickered. Thankfully, my joke had accomplished its purpose and the sad look in her eyes faded away. "So how did you do it? How did you leave him after all of that?" I asked.

"It was not easy. I never thought that he was wrong. I always thought that he hit me because I deserved it. He hit me because I was not smart enough or pretty enough or good enough for him. I deserved to be hit and he was doing me a favor by teaching me to be better. I realize now that I had extremely low self-esteem. I didn't think I was worth anything and so I believed him when he said that I needed him. I never thought that I would ever leave him. Then one day I noticed that many of our fights were caused by other men flirting with me or looking at me. I realized that those men thought that I was pretty. Looking in the mirror, I thought that I was pretty. I was starting to get my confidence back. It didn't take long after that for me to realize that at one point I had great friends. Friends that had never wanted me to change. They had loved me for who I had been and when I let Laurent change me I lost those friends. I realized that I had been happier before Laurent. The decision to leave was easy after that. I was seventeen and living in a foster home that was overcrowded. I called my social worker and asked if I could be transferred to a different one, I wanted to get away. Once I explained my situation, she was more than happy to help. She got me into a foster home with an older couple that only wanted kids right before they turned eighteen. I packed up and ended up moving over a hundred miles away. The couple helped me apply for scholarships and got me into a design school here in Phoenix. After I broke up with him and moved away Laurent gave up on me. Last I heard he was in jail for getting in a fight in a bar. I met Jasper here and fell in love with him right away. He has never hit me, he has never belittled me, and he loves me exactly as I am. He's truly amazing to me Eddie." Her whole face lit up as she spoke about Jasper. Those two were fucking perfect for each other in every single way.

"So she just needs self confidence?" I asked, "Oh fuck how do you give someone self confidence?"

Alice gave her little tinkle laugh, "Oh Eddie don't look so worried! Giving someone confidence is the simplest and hardest thing to do all at the same time!"

"Wait what? The simplest and hardest thing to do and I'm not supposed to look worried? That's fucked up Alice!"

She rolled her eyes, "Eddie its simple, to help someone build their confidence you just have to make them feel worthwhile. That means compliments, doing things to make them smile, basically just caring about them. The hard part is that when someone is really low you have be very consistent about it. You have to hold in your temper. You can never yell at her Edward, you can never insult her. You have to always be telling her that she is better than that James person, without actually bringing James into it. You can't insult James because that will just make her defensive. You have to walk a very thin line. You can't lay it on too thick and you can't be too skimpy with your praise. You have to make her feel good about herself. Basically you have to show that you care for her without telling her that you care for her."

"That's it? I just have to be there for her and tell her how amazing she is? All without telling her that I want to be with her or that her boyfriend is a jackass that does not deserve her? Fuck Alice that is not going to be easy!"

"Edward," She sighed, "it will be. You will know when to back off and you will know when you are getting through to her. Something as simple as saying 'wow you're smart' just might make her day. When she realizes that other people think she is worth something then she should realize that she is better off without that boyfriend of hers. Eddie just be her friend."

"Damn it Alice, can't I just kidnap her? I mean wouldn't that solve the problem faster?"

Again the little pixie started chuckling, "Oh Eddie that might be faster but it wouldn't last. As soon as she could, she would run screaming back to him. Right now, she loves him and thinks he is what's best for her. Just don't be an idiot and insult the asshole. That will make her not trust you. You can't tell her that you are interested in her romantically because then she will think that you are lying to her just to get in her pants. Basically Edward, be a gentleman."

"Fine, Alice I can be a fucking gentlemen. Don't you worry your little pixie head off. I'll be Bella's friend and when she is away from the jackass then I will see if there is something between us. Even if there is not I would want to fucking save her. No girl deserves to go through what Laurent did to you and what James is doing to her."

Alice stared at me for a while, and then slowly her lips broke into a smile. "What the fuck are you smiling at Alice?"

"Oh Eddie, I'm so proud of you!" Her smile got even wider if that was possible. "You really care about her, don't you? It must have been love at first sight, ah that's so romantic!"

I smiled, "Shut up pixie!" Her 'love at first sight' crap embarrassed me. I had felt an instant connection to Bella but I was not the type to claim love at first sight. Damn it I am a fucking man not a lovesick little boy. I had to laugh at Alice's enthusiastic expression though. She believed in that kind of crap. What girl didn't?

She must have known that I was embarrassed because she started laughing again. I rolled my eyes and we began to eat. Of course, the cheeseburger was delicious as always. The fries were extraordinary and the milkshake was like an orgy in my mouth. I would have to tell Esme next time I saw her that her food just kept getting better and better. As if on cue, my phone started to ring and the word "Dad" flashed across the screen.

"Hey Dad what's up?"

"Edward! It's Esme, guess what?" Esme was practically squealing. I knew immediately what happened.

"He finally fucking proposed huh?"

"Yes!"

"Congrats Esme! You guys are totally meant for each other!" She put my dad on the phone and I congratulated him also. It wasn't long until he said that he had to go call Jasper and Emmett. I was so happy for Dad and Esme well I guess now she was going to be Mom. I told Alice that we should be heading home. I knew tonight was going to be a celebration.

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_Aww doesn't everyone love Carlisle and Esme? I certainly do! _


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N I own nothing. Sorry for the delay on this update but I could not get this chapter to work out how I wanted it to. I rewrote it about five times and I hated every single one. I still hate this one but a little less than the others. I finally decided that all my fussing with it was just making it worse so here it is. I apologize in advance and swear that my next chapter will be better and longer. I cut this one short because I couldn't make it flow right._

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BPOV

Friday morning found me unprepared to face Edward. I had agonized over what I would say, how I would act, what he would think, and had not been able to think of a game plan. I couldn't afford to skip class again, so running away was not an option. Moreover, I felt like I owed him an explanation. He was probably very confused by what had happened Monday; I had to explain about James' insecurities. I had to explain that I was not a whore. I hoped that he would believe me. I guess it did not really matter all that much if he did or not; but I wanted him to believe me. I did not let myself think about why his opinion of me mattered so much. It was only natural that I would want my classmates to view me in a favorable light. Nobody wanted to sit next to someone that believed him or her to be a whore. I had to set Edward straight. Unfortunately, I had no idea how to bring it up to him. Hopefully I would be able to come up with something on the spot because it was almost time for class.

Sitting in my seat, waiting for Edward to walk in was slow torture. My nerves were killing me and I was scared that I was going to chew my lip off with how much I was biting it. I really just wanted to get up and run out of the room, possibly screaming. The seats around me began to fill up with students and still there was no sign of Edward. I started to hope that he was not coming to class. Maybe I had been granted another reprieve and I wouldn't have to face him until Monday. My hope was short lived though, because right before class was supposed to begin, Edward entered the room. His eyes immediately found me and he offered me a tentative smile. He made his way to his seat, never taking his eyes off my face. He was still smiling though and I took that as a good sign. Maybe this wouldn't be as hard as I had previously believed. Edward sat down and turned to me, before I could open my mouth to try to explain Prof. Newton started class. I would have to wait until after class to apologize.

I was diligently writing down the notes on the board when a piece of paper was placed in front of me. I looked over at Edward questioningly and he just nodded at the paper. Maybe it would be easier to have this conversation over notes. I was almost too scared to unfold the paper, I was sure that he was asking me about whether or not he was sitting next to a whore. Trembling I opened the note to find one question written in very neat handwriting. It simply said, "_Are you okay?"_

I couldn't believe what I was reading. After all that he had seen on Monday, he wanted to know if I was okay. He didn't ask if I was a whore, or what I had done to make my boyfriend so angry. He simply wanted to know if I was ok. Tears sprang up behind my eyes; it had been so long since anybody had asked me if I was okay. Edward was a perfect stranger and yet he was concerned for me. I could see it in his eyes as he studied my face. When he looked at me like that, I had a strange urge to throw myself at him and burst into tears. Somehow, I knew that he would not judge me; he would only offer comfort and support. I could not do that though. Mainly because to do so would be a betrayal to James. James is the only person that I should need for comfort and support. James is the only person I should want to tell my problems to. There was another reason that I couldn't tell Edward about my situation, if he had not realized by now what a failure I was as a girlfriend then I did not want to be the one to tell him. I would prefer it if he believed that I had just been having a bad day, not that I was continuously letting James down. My desire to confide in him unnerved me. I needed distance from him.

Therefore, I scribbled back telling him that I was okay. I wanted him to just accept my answer and let it go. I could see in his face when he read my response that he was not about to let it go. He quickly wrote me again, I was envious of the speed and elegance of his writing. Compared to his, my handwriting looked more like a second graders. He slid the paper back over to me and again I opened it with trembling fingers. I almost couldn't stop the tears when I read his words:

_Look, I don't know the details and you don't have to tell me. I just want you to know that if you ever need a friend I'm here for you._

Edward Cullen was offering to be my friend. I didn't know why his words touched me so much. Maybe it was because I didn't have any friends anymore. Maybe it was the fact that this boy barely knew me and had seen me in a very embarrassing situation. He was kind enough to not judge me and to offer me his friendship. Who was Edward Cullen? I realized that I very much wanted to take him up on his offer; I wanted to get to know him. I also realized that it could never happen. It would hurt James' feeling if I were to have a male friend and I couldn't do that to him. How could I explain that to Edward? I was sitting there mulling over how to answer Edward when Professor Newton's voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Class today is going to be very short. I am assigning you all a research project. You will be partnered up with someone else from the class and together you will pick a topic. In two month's time you will present that topic to the class. The topic will be of your choosing though it has to have something to do with gender issues and I must approve it. I will pick your partners for you. After you find out who your partner is, you are free to leave. Please come up with at least two topics you would be interested in researching by Monday."

Inwardly I sighed. I hated working with partners. I was always stuck with the partner that slacked off, so I ended up doing much of the work. I only hoped that Professor Newton paired me with a girl. I didn't want to think about how James would react if I had to work on a lengthy project with another man. The classroom was slowly emptying as Prof. Newton called out names and the paired students left. Only half the class remained and I noticed that most of the pairs consisted of a boy and a girl. I realized that he had two hats one labeled "girls" and one labeled "boys"; he was picking one name from each and putting them in pairs. This was not going to be good.

Professor Newton called out "Isabella Swan," I watched as he chose a slip of paper from the hat labeled "boys". I held my breath as he read the slip and announced "and Edward Cullen."

Oh no. It wasn't enough that I would have to be paired up with a boy; I was paired up with the one boy that had flirted with me in front of James. James was not going to be happy with me. Hopefully Edward wouldn't want to get together too often to work on this. I noticed that Edward was standing, waiting for me to join him. He hadn't said anything about being paired up with me. Maybe he was disappointed about being my partner. It could be that he hadn't meant his offering of friendship and was now regretting it. I stood up next to him and he followed me out of the room, still not speaking. I was positive then that he did not truly want to be my friend.

I rushed to let him off the hook, "Look Edward, we don't have to work on this project together. We can decide on a topic and then split up the work. That way we only have to see each other once or twice to practice the presentation."

He looked a little shocked at my words, then his beautiful green eyes clouded with confusion. "Bella, I want to work with you on this project." He laughed a little, "Most of the time I get stuck with the slacker and it sucks. You seem really smart though and I can safely trust you with half of the project. Of course we are going to have to set up meetings because I want to be on the same page all the way."

Relieved, I nodded. "Ok do you have anything that you need to be doing right now?"

He shook his head, replying, "Nope I've got until the end of this class if you do." When I nodded that I too had until the end of class he told me bowed dramatically and said, "Lead the way to the library, Miss Bella. We have topics to discuss."

Laughing, I picked up my bag and started towards the library, Edward fell into step beside me. I realized that I was looking forward to working with him. He seemed willing to do his half of the work, which was a big relief for me. He was intelligent and enjoyable to be around. This project could actually be really fun for me to work on. We took a table in the library; Edward sat down across from me. I looked up at him and suddenly it was hard to breathe. Edward was staring at me. I felt heat pooling in my body. He was so beautiful. He had the most stunning green eyes and his hair; oh, his hair was just gorgeous. As if he could read my mind, Edward arched an eyebrow and the heat went straight to my cheeks. I cleared my throat and in my most business like tone I said, "Let's get started, Mr. Cullen."

The rest of the hour passed pleasantly. We talked only about the project and decided on two topics: Gender Issues in Children's Literature or Sexism. I hoped that Professor Newton let us do the children's literature topic. I was interested in researching how your typical princess story influenced young girls. Surprisingly Edward seemed interested in it also. We sat there talking about our favorite stories and before I knew it, it was time for me to go meet James. I told Edward goodbye and that I would see him on Monday. I gathered up my things and was almost walking away when Edward called out my name.

"Bella, wait!"

I turned around and walked back to the table, "What?"

"I was thinking that we should have each other's numbers. You know so that we can set up work times and are able to get a hold of each other."

I thought fast, it was a good idea but James always checked my phone. I knew I couldn't put him in as Edward Cullen; that was just asking for a trouble. He also couldn't be texting me all the time. I couldn't very well tell him no though. I nodded and we exchanged phones. I hoped that he hadn't noticed my hesitation. He handed me my phone back. I thanked him and walked away again.

As I was walking away, I quickly scanned through my contacts and found his name. Just as I was about to hit edit my phone beeped. A new message popped up on my screen from Edward Cullen. I was nervous as I opened it. Of course, there was no reason for me to be nervous and a smile spread across my face as I read the message.

_I'm glad you're my partner. See you Monday!_

I was glad that he was my partner too. I couldn't let James know that my partner was Edward though. If he knew that I would have to meet with Edward privately, James would go crazy. He would probably insist on joining us and I couldn't work with James watching my every move. I decided that it would be better if James didn't know that Edward was my partner. It wasn't just better for me, it was better for James too. If he knew, he would worry over nothing. As cute as Edward was, I loved James. Edward was just my project partner, nothing more. I closed out Edward's message without responding. I found his name in my contacts again and hit edit. I erased Edward Cullen and typed out Jessica Stanley. She was the only girl that I could think of from our class. This way if Edward texted me while James had my phone, the message would look like it was coming from a girl. Satisfied, I walked into the dining hall where James was waiting for me.


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N I own nothing like always. First of all I want to apologize. I know it's been forever since I've updated and none of you want to hear my excuses. I will give them to you anyway. I've been going through some shit and I honestly wanted to write. I really did. I just found that I couldn't. I just ended a two year relationship and wasn't handling it very well. I wanted this chapter to be a fluffy little piece but I couldn't write fluff for Bella and Edward in the state of mind that I am in. Finally I decided today that you guys deserved something. It may not be what I wanted this chapter to be, it may not be what you guys wanted this chapter to be; but at least it's something right? I'm sorry that I left you all hanging for so long only to come back with this. Which brings me to my second point. If you absolutely hate this chapter, hate that I threw an angsty chappie right when it should've been filled with rainbows and unicorns please bear with me. I'm working on getting to a fluff state of mind. So please accept my heartfelt apologies for disappearing on you guys and enjoy a little angst!_

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EPOV

Bella and I presented our two topics to Professor Newton. He said that he would be much more interested in the children's story topic. Bella and I were both fucking excited about that, it had been the topic that interested us also. We didn't get to talk a lot though because Professor Newton used up the whole fucking class period talking about what he expected in our presentations. As soon as class was over, Bella bolted out the door. I wished I had gotten the opportunity to talk to her more and debated about texting her. I had spoken to Alice about that over the weekend though and she thought that I should only text Bella in fucking emergencies or about class related material. It put a serious damper on my plans to bombard Bella with texts about how amazing she was but I had to fucking agree with Alice that I had to be subtle. I also didn't want Bella getting in trouble with her boyfriend because I was texting her all the time. That would just lead her to fucking resent me, not listen to the things I had to say. There would be plenty of time to talk to her during this project. I silently sent a huge thank you to Prof. Newton. This project made getting time to spend with Bella so much easier. The man had become a fucking life-saver without even knowing it.

I got to class early on Wednesday. Bella was there already, smiling as I sat down next to her. We discussed meeting times to work on our project. She said that she had most Thursday nights free and I mentally winced; there went my fucking Thirsty Thursday. Bella was more important than a fucking night of drinking though so I told her that I also had Thursday nights free. Emmett was going to kill me. We made plans to meet every Thursday at 5 for a couple of hours. Good, that gave me a hell of a lot of time to be with Bella. I had to take it fucking slow with her, I reminded myself. As much as I wanted to scream that her boyfriend was a douche and she'd be better off without him, it probably wouldn't be such a great idea. When class was over with she left again without saying a word. Damn. I walked back to the apartment hoping that Alice was there. The others were supportive about what I was trying to do but only Alice really understood what I was up against. I definitely wanted her opinion before my study date with Bella. I cracked a smile at the fact that in my mind this was like our first date. Expect I wouldn't be getting a kiss at the end of the night. Or her panties weren't going to end up on my floor, which is how most college dates ended. Still it was a date in my head and on our "date" I would treat Bella like a lady. It was about time that somebody did.

BPOV

Wednesday night I realized that I had to tell James about the project. I would leave out that Edward was my partner; I didn't feel like that was pertinent information. I could work on a project with a boy and still be faithful to James. I would tell him that I was working with Jessica Stanley. James worked Thursday nights so he would never know the difference. Lying to James bothered me but I reasoned that telling him the truth and worrying him over nothing would make me a worse girlfriend. Satisfied with my reasoning I walked into our apartment, to my surprise James was already home.

"Hey sweetie!" I leaned in to kiss his cheek, "Why are you home so early?"

He didn't return my smile or kiss me back. Uh oh. Mentally I recounted my day. I hadn't forgotten to do anything and there was no way he could have found out about Edward so fast. It must have been something to do with work. He was a manager at a local store and the job could get very stressful at times. Hopefully a nice hot shower and a massage would make him feel better. If that didn't help maybe I could entice him with some mind-blowing sex. I couldn't put off telling him about the project but was no longer sure how he would take the news.

Without saying a word to me James went into the bathroom. Minutes later I heard the shower running. Quickly I put my shoes and backpack away, tidied up the kitchen and living room and changed into comfier clothes. I decided that we should have spaghetti tonight and as I started the meal preparations, James came out of the shower. He walked back into the kitchen wrapped in just a towel. The water glistening off his chiseled body made the breath catch in my throat. I wanted to walk over and run my hands over his body but knew better. When James was in a bad mood it was never a good idea to touch him. I just gave him a smile and went back to pouring water into the pot. Suddenly I felt his hands on my waist and his lips on my neck. I smiled and leaned back into his touch. Apparently the shower had improved his mood.

"Sorry Bella, I didn't want to snap at you earlier so I decided to say nothing until I felt better." He whispered in my ear, his breath on my ear sent chills down my spine.

"It's okay baby. I understand." I turned in his arms and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. I lived for moments like this. I loved him so much when he was this way, soft and sweet.

He chuckled and moved back, letting me get back to cooking. We had a nice dinner together. Laughing the way we used to and talking about our days. I was so glad that we had this time together. After dinner as we were cuddling on the couch I decided it would be the best time to tell him about my project with "Jessica".

"James? I got assigned a class project today with a girl in my class named Jessica. Thursdays are the only days she can work on it so when you're at work on Thursdays I'll be at the library. I wanted to let you know so that you would know where to find me."

"You just got assigned it today?" He asked.

"Well actually we were assigned it on Friday, but we got all the details and figured out when and where to meet today."

"So you found out about it on Friday?" I nodded my head and the look in his eyes turned from tenderness to barely controlled anger, "Why am I just now finding out about it Bella?" he seethed.

"Sweetie, I didn't know when she could meet to work on it! I didn't think I should bother you with it until I knew more details!"

"Did you ever think that maybe I wanted you to be home when I was at work? Did you think that just because I'm gone you can just go gallivanting around with anybody?"

Inwardly I wanted to scream. How could such a good night turn ugly so fast? How could he be so angry just because I failed to mention a class project? This wasn't the way it was supposed to be! I was so confused by the sudden change in his mood that I didn't even flinch when he slapped me across the face. I couldn't move, I could barely breathe. It felt like nothing I did was good enough anymore. I was worthless. I couldn't seem to make him happy and if he wasn't happy then I could not possibly be happy. He grabbed me by the arm and half drug me into the bedroom. He tried to keep the beatings contained in one room. That way if I bled at least I didn't bleed throughout the whole apartment. It made the clean up easier.

I knew better than to fight back. I knew to keep my body limp, my mind blank. But somehow I couldn't keep my mind blank this time. I didn't want to think about the difference between the James that had kissed me so sweetly in the kitchen and the James that was glaring at me as he towed me into the bedroom. I couldn't seem to block out the pain either. I felt everything. His fingers were too tight around my arm; I knew it was going to bruise. Thankfully my face didn't seem to bruise as easily so I probably wouldn't need to use a ton of cover-up tomorrow. It was funny how I could think about things like that objectively. The short walk to the bedroom seemed to take forever as my mind raced. For the first time in a long time I was scared of what he was going to do. I had seen him angrier at me and wasn't sure why today scared me more than any other time in recent history.

We had finally arrived at the bedroom, he shoved me face down on the floor. He knelt over my body, grabbed my hair and jerked my head up. I felt shooting pain from where he was basically detaching the hair from my scalp. The feeling brought tears into my eyes. Strangely that seemed to piss him off even more.

"What are you crying about bitch? Does it hurt when I pull your hair?" He gave it another hard tug, "I would think a whore like you liked it rough. Maybe I'm wrong though because I also thought that my girlfriend doesn't keep secrets from me." He was practically spitting in my face.

I tried my best to avert my eyes. Looking at him now would only spur him on. It was best to keep silent and submissive. He was more liable to take it easy on me if he had total control. He must have sensed my defeat because he released my hair, slamming my head back onto the floor. It hit with a resounding crack and idly I wondered if I would have a concussion. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Sleep on the floor tonight like the dog you are, bitch." James sneered at me. He stepped over me and I could hear him turning off the lights and the television in the living room. I didn't even try to move as he walked back into the bedroom, turning off the lights as he went. He stepped over me again and I could hear the comforter being pulled back as he climbed into bed.

I waited until I could hear him snoring before I dared to get up. Silently I moved out of the bedroom, into the bathroom. Once inside I locked the door then turned on the lights. I curled up on the floor and was shocked to find that tears were streaming down my face. James had really scared me tonight. I could remember worse beatings, in face this didn't even count as a beating; he just hit me once and pulled my hair. I realized that it had been so scary because for the first time in a long time I felt like I didn't deserve it. I had done nothing wrong. It didn't help that I wasn't able to keep as detached as I would have liked during the episode. Shakily I gripped the edge of the vanity and pulled myself up. I looked at myself in the mirror, really looked at myself. Looking past the redness in my cheek and the puffiness around my eyes, I saw a scared young woman. For the first time since James and I started dating I wondered what the hell I was doing.


End file.
